- 10 months ago
Seth and Sean talk with 3-time Super Bowl Champion LB with the Patriots and former Sports Radio 610 host, Ted Johnson, about the divisional round matchup between the Texans and Patriots.
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00:00And joining us right now, someone who I used to do a lot of radio with.
00:02He was my co-host in afternoons on the Triple Threat.
00:06Did a lot of post-game work together as well for the Texans.
00:08You can now find him on WEEI, our sister station in Boston, in the afternoons.
00:13He is a three-time Super Bowl winner.
00:15And most importantly, he is a good friend of all of us here at Sports Radio 610.
00:19Ted Johnson joining us here on Sports Radio 610.
00:22Teddy J, what's going on, dude?
00:25What's up, Sean?
00:26Seth, I miss you guys.
00:27It's so good to hear your voice, and I appreciate the intro music.
00:31I got tickets.
00:32Rush is coming to the TD Bank this September.
00:35I will be there in the 200 section.
00:38You can see me there, screwing my head off.
00:40So I love that Rush is picking back up.
00:42But, guys, it is such an honor to be on with you.
00:46I just love the fact that both of our teams are meeting in the divisional round.
00:51Who would have ever thought when you saw these two teams play last year in Foxboro?
00:55But here we are.
00:56It's been a fun week.
00:58I'm looking forward to it.
00:59Yeah, honestly, especially from the Patriots side of things where Patriots fans were upset at the end of last season that they ruined their draft pick by winning that game.
01:10And it just, like, I know, I know, I'm not even talking smack.
01:15Patriots fans would have no reason to expect that the turnaround could be this quick.
01:19Now, this is where I am with this, Ted.
01:23I want to be as objective as possible.
01:26And I tried really hard not to think about the strength of schedule.
01:29I'm not sitting here saying, oh, the Patriots are, they're not even good.
01:33Like, they're obviously a good football team.
01:34But when I go back and I try to figure out just what Drake May is, like, help me separate the fact that he's had a really good performance from the fact that he also has faced very few good defenses.
01:47Like, how are you handling all that?
01:49I hear you, Seth.
01:52And it is what, you know, most people point to.
01:56I get it.
01:57You know, the best defense they played, and you said it.
02:02You said it in a tweet, rightfully so.
02:05You know, the Patriots offense hadn't faced a top-10 scoring defense all season long.
02:12And conversely, the Texans defense faced eight top-10 scoring offenses.
02:19So, that unit for the Texans defense, that side of the ball, has been through battles this season.
02:27And the Patriots clearly have not.
02:30However, I will say this.
02:32They did play a top-10 scoring defense last week against the Chargers.
02:38Now, it's a step.
02:40I mean, it's a step up in weight class.
02:41We get that.
02:42But it's kind of how he's won these games, Seth, that has kind of been so impressive.
02:49I mean, there was cupcakes throughout the whole schedule.
02:53I get that.
02:55But there was domination in a lot of those games.
02:58I mean, there was times where, you know, he put himself against the Bengals.
03:02He threw a pick six, and they're down 10-zip.
03:05And he's able to bring the team back and win the game.
03:09I mean, he has mistakes early in games.
03:12But then he figures it out, makes adjustments, comes back out in the halftime.
03:17And it throws, like, perfect games in the second half.
03:21So, they're able to overcome so many errors and mistakes because of Drake May.
03:30And the schedule is the schedule.
03:32But there's been points in the schedule where you're kind of looking, you know, I can see,
03:36you know, this is maybe an opportunity for them to take their foot off the gas.
03:39Or, you know, this is a cupcake kind of opponent.
03:41I mean, I can see maybe them not being all in on a short week, you know, against the Giants on a Thursday night.
03:47And they go out there, and they throttle them.
03:50I mean, so there's been these checkpoints where you go, okay, I can see where they might not perform at their best.
03:56And Rabel has them so just, like, you know, teed up mentally that they go out there and they handle their business.
04:06So, even though it's a soft schedule, I still think it's been impressive wins against some of these lesser teams.
04:13So, and you know what?
04:14They're not going to apologize for the schedule.
04:16I mean, they have 14 wins.
04:17You don't just luck into 10 straight wins.
04:22So, there's something to this team.
04:24And Drake's special.
04:25And if you guys want to talk about him, I mean, it's hard.
04:28I'd be curious to hear what you think about Drake Mayseth.
04:31I just think he's got special qualities.
04:34I think he's a unique talent.
04:37He plays the position in a way I've never really seen another quarterback play from this standpoint.
04:43He's just so, he's so athletic, and he's so smooth.
04:47You know, the way he runs out of the pocket, the way he throws from the pocket, he's a tremendous athlete.
04:54And he's got gifts that are just unique.
04:58And unlike anything I've seen, I'd be curious what you think about him, Seth.
05:01No, no, I think I agree with everything you're saying there.
05:04And that is, like, he's made, I think some of it, too, is it's not like he hasn't faced good defenders or good defensive backs.
05:11And it's not like he hasn't gone up against good pass rushers.
05:14The Browns game maybe is the best example of, okay, they're going up against a really good defense that was giving them everything they could handle.
05:21And the Patriots offense wasn't doing a whole lot in the first half.
05:25Eventually, the dam breaks, which also does tend to happen when good defenses are playing on a team that has an awful offense.
05:32But I think that some of the moments and some of the big-time throws he makes, that's obviously very, very impressive.
05:40So I guess I'm kind of holding it in reserve because there's just a part of me that, all right, if you want to look at this like his first real season with an actual offensive coordinator that knows what he's doing and where the pieces around him are better.
05:54And I give him credit, honestly, for also not working with the guy up the screen at you, his skill position players.
06:02It is impressive what he's done.
06:04But I'm kind of just holding in reserve that, all right, you've got to do it consistently against good opponents before you really get up to that genuine upper tier.
06:14I get it.
06:15I get it.
06:15So just like I said, the best defense, metrically speaking, that they played all season long was last week.
06:22And, you know, I think he passed the test.
06:25It wasn't pretty, right?
06:26It wasn't pretty.
06:27The offensive line looked a little shaky there, clearly, when they give up, you know, five sacks like that.
06:34And so that's a concern.
06:36You know, that's something I've clearly that D'Amico and Matt Burke is going to be looking at is that left side of that offensive line.
06:43I think that's going to be a big issue.
06:45Those two rookies, left tackle, left guard, you know, Will Campbell, the fourth overall pick, he's been, you know, fantastic.
06:52But he's never faced a pass rush like he's going to face on Sunday night.
06:56So I'm curious what the game plan is.
06:59Do you guys stay, you know, with your same four-man, you know, rush and just do games and just one-on-ones?
07:05Or do you try and do overload blitzes?
07:07Do you do two- and three-man games to that side to try and exploit that side will be interesting.
07:12And I think it's – I find this game fascinating from the sense that, Seth, you know, when you get to this point, it's kind of – it's more about matchups with the coordinators.
07:22You know, it's Josh McDaniel versus Matt Burke.
07:26It's Nick Haley versus Zach Kaur.
07:28You know, what are those guys going to come up with?
07:31And I find the fact that there's so many, you know, coaches that are on the Texans staff that were in New England, knowledge of being with the Patriots
07:41and really more just being around Josh McDaniels, Nick Haley, obviously, and then his brother, Ben McDaniels there, who's your wide receiver coach.
07:49Can they help Matt Burke put a game plan together because they know Josh so well?
07:54It's – and it's – I mean, you look at the Texas defense, they have no weaknesses.
07:59I mean, you're kind of like, okay, well, you can get the ball out fast and you can do draws and screens and you can do that horizontal game.
08:06But it's – they're all over you.
08:09They're on top of you so fast.
08:10And so I'll just give my two cents on what I think, as Sean told me, that you were saying the same thing I was when it comes to plans on offense for the Patriots.
08:21I think you've got to run Drake May more than you have all season long.
08:24They have not done a lot of design runs for him this season.
08:28It's probably by design maybe they're just waiting for a game to do it.
08:32And I feel like this is the game to have design runs, moving pockets, you know, and then scramble when you don't, you know, see.
08:43You guys put a lot of guys in the coverage.
08:45So, you know, this is, to me, a game, if the Patriots are going to win, that Drake May needs to use his feet to beat this defense.
08:55We're talking to Ted Johnson, of course, three-time Super Bowl champ, our former colleague here at 610 Afternoons WEEI up in Boston.
09:01Ted, I want to flip over to the defensive side with the Patriots.
09:05Robert Spillane, who plays your old position there at inside linebacker, said after that Chargers game that the Chargers were coming up to him on the field saying,
09:13man, we were seeing things that we had no idea what you guys were doing out here with some of this stuff.
09:17In a good way to the Patriots, obviously saying that.
09:23With that in mind, do you agree, like, were the Patriots doing some really crazy, super exotic things?
09:28And how does that impact how they attack C.J. Stroud, who obviously had his struggles on Monday against the Steelers?
09:36Yeah, it's, I think it's a tad bit overblown.
09:40You know, it's kind of, there's, you know, Orlovsky said the same thing.
09:43Your boy, Dan, said the same thing.
09:45And I was like, I don't know.
09:47I mean, there's a little bit of, look, there's some disguise, clearly.
09:50You know, it's, but that's kind of, a lot of teams do that, you know, show one coverage pre-snap and then rotate to another coverage post-snap.
09:58That's, that's, that's, you know, they do that, but I don't, I don't think that it's not anything new.
10:02They're not reinventing the wheel.
10:03They did, I tell you what, they turned up the heat, especially on their, their blitzing.
10:09I mean, they, they're, they're, they blitz very, you know, they don't blitz a lot, maybe 25% of the time during the regular season.
10:15And they kicked it up to 46% when they saw Justin Herbert, just, I mean, he was seeing ghosts, guys.
10:21He was seeing ghosts.
10:22So they just, they just, they just throttled down on the blitzes.
10:25So maybe it was, I think the blitzes got to them a little bit, you know, second, second level blitzes got to them a little bit.
10:31But I don't think they were doing anything that was all that unique or different.
10:35And that defense, it's kind of, you know, you're trying to figure out how they're going to play the Texans.
10:41It's, they, they morph into something different week to week.
10:45They don't have a steady kind of diet of, of tendencies, more like the Texas defense, where they kind of just line up and just say, we're better than you.
10:54So they change what they like to do week to week.
10:56And they, they make, they're very good.
11:00So if whatever is going on at the, in the first half is not working, they will make adjustments.
11:05And so I think that, that narrative that you're talking about, Sean, about just the exotic defense that no one's ever seen.
11:11I think I was a little bit overblown in my opinion.
11:14You know, and Ted, I'm glad you brought up the coordinator versus coordinator because, you know, Josh McDaniels obviously has done some great things.
11:22And I mean, he did great things with Mac Jones.
11:25You know, it wasn't just the Tom Brady thing.
11:27It's that he has a great way of managing young quarterbacks, giving them opportunities to succeed.
11:34And with the Texans defense, and I know people in New England are aware of the, one of the things they aren't elite at is preventing explosive plays.
11:42They just have these little hiccups here and there where all of a sudden they allow a deep shot downfield.
11:47Most of those, or a good chunk of those, are not because of physical losses, but they're because of blown coverages.
11:54And that's what I wonder about with Josh McDaniels is, all right, him really figuring out what stresses them, what gives them a hard time downfield.
12:03When do they have a hard time sorting out routes and how does he game plan for that this week?
12:09Yeah, look, I mean, the best throw he makes, I mean, it's insane, you guys, how accurate he is with the deep ball.
12:16And it's, you know, anytime he can get, you know, a safety in the middle of the field or to, you know, manipulate away from his nine route on the other side,
12:28he wants to throw it up the sideline, that nine route, right or left, doesn't matter, is, is, is the best throw that Drake may, Drake may throws.
12:37He's brilliant at it.
12:39And the charge is very good at stopping big plays with their two high safeties that they play a lot of times.
12:46But, but Drake threw a gorgeous touchdown pass to Hunter Henry, 28 yards for a touchdown, just, you know, threads the needle.
12:54He will take shots.
12:55And this is what a lot of people thought that, you know, Drake may, he's kind of this gunslinger.
12:59He wants to throw it deep.
13:00But if there's, you know, if the Texans are playing in such a way that he can't throw deep, he will take, take the easy money and he will take the check downs.
13:10And Josh always has usually outlets form underneath to escape to if there's some, there's nothing down the field.
13:17But don't kid yourself.
13:19This kid's nature is to throw it deep and to take shots.
13:23Kayshawn Booty is, is, is, is probably our best guy at doing that.
13:27And he's, he was been hurt for a little while, but now he's, he's come back and he had a big explosive play last week.
13:33So, you know, DeMario Douglas is kind of a big play guy.
13:37So they will take their shots if they see, you know, and I'll, I'll be honest, you know, Drake has become a very, very, he's a smart kid.
13:47Like he's, he's reading defenses.
13:49He's making good decisions.
13:51So if there's, you know, he gets a one-on-one situation outside press coverage with no safety over the top.
13:57Bank it.
13:58That's where he's going.
13:59So he's going to take his shots downfield.
14:02And you, you know, the hope is for, if you're a Patriots fan, that he's going to hit on a couple of them.
14:06Yeah.
14:06The hope is we ruin him, Ted.
14:07That's the hope here.
14:08All right.
14:09That's the hope down in Houston.
14:11We, we, we suck out his will to live.
14:13Okay.
14:15I get it, buddy.
14:16I mean, that's what you guys do.
14:17I mean, it's, it's impressive to me guys.
14:21It is, they play with intent.
14:23They play with, it's a ferociousness and they do it kind of like, it's, it's not like it's, it's bells and whistles.
14:31It's just, it's kind of an old school.
14:33We're just, we're just better than you.
14:35And the fact that you can run, rush just four guys, but the fact that you have two dominating edge rushers, not just one.
14:43Right.
14:43I mean, there, it is.
14:44I was looking up stats like, you know, when JJ Watt played, JJ Watt, I still get crap up here.
14:50JJ Watt, greatest football player I've ever seen.
14:52Ever.
14:53Yes.
14:53I know.
14:53Still your take, right?
14:55That's still your take.
14:56I won't back.
14:57I won't back off.
14:58Still, still my favorite.
14:59And, you know, and so I looked up, he played Tom Brady eight times.
15:02And I was thinking like, does Josh dust off his old, you know, his old game plan when he played the Texans.
15:08Right.
15:08Cause there was three games in which the, the Texans, the Patriots played where JJ Watt and Jadavion Clowney were, were together.
15:18Yep.
15:19JJ Watt in eight games against Tom Brady has a half a sack.
15:23It's crazy.
15:23Half a sack.
15:24And the whole strategy was, was that Tom got the ball out fast, ball out fast, ball out fast.
15:29And you could, you would say, well, wouldn't that shouldn't be a similar strategy for, for, for Drake May.
15:35It's, it's a different, it's a different offense.
15:37That's not, it's not about precision and timing in this, with this, this quarterback, at least not yet.
15:43And so I think, you know, to negate that pass rush, they're going to have to do more moving pockets, more scrambles, more design runs, just to slow those beasts off the edge down.
15:57It's slow to me, uh, the best, their best hope.
16:02And the other thing is to Ramondre Stevenson guys are running back is, is, is the best running back in the NFL in the last five games.
16:11His, his numbers are off the charts yards after catch.
16:15I know you guys are dominant against the run, but I, my guess is there's going to be, this is going to be a, you know, a 25 to 28 carry game for him just to try and wear you guys down a little bit, hopefully to, uh, with the hopes of making a big play because of it.
16:3228 carries against this Texans defense.
16:34Ted, I would make sure his life insurance is, is up to date.
16:37Ramondre, from a pure punishment standpoint, Stevenson's a nice back.
16:41Oh, but how about between, how about 28 carries between him and, and there you go, there you go.
16:47Yeah, there you go.
16:47Then they, then they won't die.
16:48They're just going to be in the cold tub for a long, long time.
16:51That's the great Ted Johnson joining us here on sports radio, 610.
16:54Ted, I can't wait to talk to you and your co-hosts this afternoon, doing a little home and home today, man.
17:00Love it.
17:00A show swap.
17:01It's a, we're, we're looking forward to it.
17:03Everybody knows what I think of, uh, pain and Pendergast up here.
17:07I think you guys are the best and we look forward to having you on later today, Sean.
17:11I appreciate you taking the time to jump on with us.
17:13Hey man, thanks for jumping on with us, Ted.
17:15Love you buddy.
17:15And we'll talk to you later on today.
17:17Hey, I love you too.
17:18And give my best to your, uh, your lovely, uh, significant others.
17:22They're awesome.
17:22And, uh, I'll talk to you soon, boys.
17:24You guys take care.
17:25All right.
17:25Thanks Ted.
17:26Good stuff.
17:26We appreciate that.
17:27That's Ted Johnson joining us here.
17:28Ted is a, Ted is a great conversationalist with other guys' wives.
17:32Um, obviously I'm, I'm joking.
17:36Like, there's no ulterior motive.
17:40Like he has like, he is the best, uh, like if I were a single guy and I had a girlfriend,
17:45I would be totally cool with her just chatting it up with Ted because he's like, he's the
17:50perfect gentleman, but he's a really good, uh, like Brandy loves talking to Ted.
17:54Yeah.
17:54Oh yeah.
17:54He talks all the time.
17:57He's actually calling her right now.
17:59But it's, it's totally cool.
18:01Totally cool.
18:02It's fine.
18:03It's 2000 miles away.
18:07Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning to go to the bathroom at like 2am and there they
18:11are on the phone.
18:12I just hear that.
18:13I hear the phone on the nightstand over there all night long.
18:17I didn't know we had a landline, but Ted's got the number.
18:22Oh, I can't wait to play this for Ted later.
18:25I'll be still listening.
18:26I'm like,